Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 196 Alliance (Part 1)

In response to Ji Liang's suggestion, Ji Shi slowly turned around, his crown tassels swaying in front of his forehead, and addressed the assembled nobles of Southern Yan, saying, "I will know how to handle this situation."

The fate of a nation is fundamental to its stability. Even if Ji Liang didn't say it, Ji Shi wouldn't dare to excessively deplete the nation's fortune. After all, once the throne is in jeopardy and the state is unstable, natural disasters and man-made calamities will follow. Even if Southern Yan has a deep foundation, it will suffer heavy losses and may even face the loss of the country.

As she spoke, Ji Shi's gaze swept over the group of shamans, and she said coldly, "Open the compass."

"Unseal the compass!"

Upon receiving the king's command, the thirty-six shamans knelt down in unison, their foreheads striking the ground and echoing on the bluestone slabs. The ox-tail banner danced in the morning mist, and the smoke rising from the sacrificial cauldron suddenly transformed into the shape of a blue phoenix, circling the compass chariot three times before crashing into the compass in the palm of the bronze figure.

"Buzz,"

The five-colored light on the copper plate suddenly burst into brightness, the magnetic needle trembled slowly, and the thunder patterns wrapped around the chariot also lit up suddenly, with thousands of talismans dancing like fireflies.

Seeing the unusual phenomenon of the compass chariot, Ji Shi waved his sleeve and said in a deep voice, "Issue my decree."

"By order of the Azure Bird Envoy, send a proclamation to all the states of the Ji clan, to hold a grand alliance ceremony at the southern suburbs of Yandu in ten days. I intend to destroy Xu!"

"promise!"

The noble families of Nan Yan responded in unison.

Now that the compass has been activated, conquering the State of Xu has become an urgent matter.

If we do not destroy the State of Xu, but instead destroy its state and ancestral temples, how can we replenish the fortune consumed by the compass chariot?

As soon as the compass was deployed, the bluebird messenger from the Southern Yan sent proclamations to all the states. Above the fifty-nine states of the Ji clan, the sound of war drums suddenly rose.

------

Ten days later, at the altar in the southern suburbs of Nan Yan,

On the nine-zhang-high sacrificial altar, Ji Shi, dressed in imperial robes and holding a black jade tablet, faced the Ji clan lords standing in formation.

The compass chariot stopped on the east side of the altar. The magnetic needle in the palm of the bronze figure kept spinning, and ripples spread in the void that the needle pointed to. Within a radius of a hundred miles, the clouds in the sky could be faintly seen being distorted by a force.

The princes of fifty-nine states gathered, all wearing seals and ribbons, with endless chariots and armored soldiers behind them, banners fluttering and bronze spears standing tall.

"My uncles, elders, and cousins,"

As the initiator of the alliance, Ji Shi declared loudly: "Lu Shang of Xu State has usurped Tongqiu, unleashing his troops to wreak havoc and disrupt the states of Henan. His crimes are immeasurable. Today, I, Ji Shi, act on behalf of Heaven to punish these wicked men, and I wish to share the land of Xu with you all, and enjoy the eternal prosperity of our nation!"

The feudal lords, led by Ebo Ji'an, exchanged glances and remained silent.

Upon seeing this, Ji Shi pointed to the sky and swore an oath, saying, "May the Heavenly Emperor Taiyi bear witness that if I break this oath, I shall be punished by the heavens, struck by five thunderbolts, and my body and soul shall be destroyed."

After a moment's contemplation, Ebo Ji'an said, "Since this is an act of punishing the guilty on behalf of Heaven, how dare we disobey? Xu Boshang has usurped Tongqiu and seized the mulberry fields of our Yellow Emperor's descendants. If this grudge is not avenged, how can we face our ancestors?"

"We are willing to follow Yan Bo and join forces to punish Xu Ni!"

After Ebo expressed his opinion, Qibo and Yinbo followed suit, and other Ji-surname vassals also echoed his sentiments.

Ji Shi solemnly said, "The State of Xu is tyrannical, and both Heaven and man are outraged. We should raise a righteous army, crush the State of Xu, and establish the authority of our Ji clan."

All the feudal lords shouted in unison, "We will crush the State of Xu and establish the authority of our Ji clan!"

With the combined efforts of 59 nations, each contributing a brigade, nearly 30,000 armored soldiers were employed.

With 30,000 armored soldiers, even dukes and marquises would take notice. This force was enough to sweep away the states of Henan, dominate the feudal lords, and even go further, expand the power of the Ji clan states from Henan to the Xiang River.

Upon seeing this, Ebo Ji'an raised his arms and shouted, "Heaven above, ancestors of the Ji clan above, we swear today to destroy the Xu Kingdom!"

"We vow to destroy the Xu Kingdom!"

"We swear to destroy the State of Xu!" Just as Ji Shi and other feudal lords swore their oath, and the armies of fifty-nine states converged, a murderous aura enveloped the land of Henan.

The states of Jiao in the west and Liang in the east were also sending troops to reinforce Xu. The black banners of the states in the west swept across Xiaohan like a tide.

When Wu Wenhe was sent as an envoy to the western region, the countries there immediately responded. Those who can claim to be alone and have few followers, and who ascend to the throne, naturally understand the principle of mutual dependence.

They knew very well that if the State of Xu were destroyed by the Ji clan lords, without the State of Xu standing in their way, the Ji clan lords' next target would inevitably be them.

The slogan of "acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the guilty" is just that—a slogan. Those who could truly act on behalf of Heaven were the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the sage kings of all dynasties. It was not the case that a mere regional governor could make such a claim.

Xu State, Xu Capital
Lü Shang leaned against the city wall, his robes fluttering in the wind blowing from the west.

He looked up at the southeastern horizon, where a crimson cloud was rising from the ground. Within the cloud, it seemed as if thousands of armored soldiers were arrayed with spears, and wisps of golden-red light, carrying malice, were slowly surging toward Xudu.

"This is the Ji clan's allied forces,"

After carefully observing the eastern weather for a while, Lü Shang turned to look at the west.

On the western horizon, layers of dark clouds had gathered, and within them, the shapes of dragons and tigers could be vaguely seen interlocking, signifying the arrival of reinforcements from the western vassal states.

He looked at it for a moment, then muttered to himself, "What a clear distinction."

It is said that pulling one hair affects the whole body, let alone the alliance of fifty-nine states, which large or small state in Henan is not afraid of.

It was also because of the reaction of the western lords that the whole of Henan was on edge, and a great war was about to break out.

At this time, the two hundred states in Henan were divided into two major camps, one in the east and one in the west, each occupying a certain area. Once war broke out, no one could remain uninvolved.

Vertical alliances! Horizontal alliances!
Neither side would back down, and both the east and west sides were eager to test each other, making the situation increasingly dangerous.

A strong wind blew up Lü Shang's clothes as Wu Wenhe strode up the stone steps of the city wall.

"Your Majesty,"

Wu Wenhe, who had just returned from his diplomatic mission, said, "The 20,000 reinforcements from Jiao Kingdom, Dongliang Kingdom, and other states have already crossed the Xiaohan Pass."

Lu Shang said softly, "The western kingdoms have spared no expense with their 20,000 reinforcements."

The states of Henan were inherently stronger in the east than in the west. If these 20,000 armored soldiers were lost, it would inevitably damage their very foundation.

"They dare not skimp on the investment,"

Wu Wenhe replied, “My Xu Kingdom is now interdependent with the Western Kingdoms. If the Xu Kingdom perishes, the Xiaohan Pass will be wide open, and the Ji Kingdoms will be able to drive straight into the Western Kingdom.”

“Things are not what they used to be. In the past, the emperor still had his authority, and although there were minor conflicts among the states, they dared not start a major war. Now, the emperor’s lifespan is coming to an end. Once the emperor’s tomb collapses and his son ascends the throne, regardless of whether the son can live up to the mandate of heaven, the nine provinces and myriad states will be in a state of disorder for a period of time.”

"Jiang Xia and the Ying clan princes, led by Dongliang, dared not gamble that when that time came, the Ji clan princes would take the opportunity to seize the western corner."

"We would rather endure the pain for a while than give the Ji clan princes a chance."

Lu Shang neither confirmed nor denied what Wu Wenhe said, but said, "They do have a long-term vision; they even saw the turmoil in the political situation after the emperor's death."

"The Emperor has died,"

He gazed thoughtfully at the vast sky and murmured, "I wonder what chaos will ensue in the land after that arrogant emperor departs."

"Does that Emperor Prince Huai have the ability to subdue the four sacred mountains and command all nations?"

"After all, the Xia dynasty has lasted for seven generations since Emperor Yu, and Emperor Zihuai is the eighth generation. Emperor Yao of the Tao Tang dynasty lasted for six generations, and Emperor Shun of the You Yu dynasty lasted for three generations. In the eyes of many people, the mandate of heaven for the Xia dynasty should also be overthrown."

(End of this chapter)